College Station City Manager Kelly Templin on Wednesday informed city staff of three promotions designed to improve communication within the organization.

Chuck Gilman has been named deputy city manager and will have Public Works, College Station Utilities, Parks & Recreation and Planning & Development Services under him. Chuck, who came to the city from the private sector in 2007, previously served as director of Public Works and is being succeeded by assistant director Donald Harmon, who’s been with College Station since 1999.

“Chuck has been a tremendous leader of Public Works, but I need his project management and process-efficiency skills, as well as his rapport with internal and external groups, in a second-in-command position,” Templin said. “Donald, meanwhile, will bring enormous professionalism to his new role of leading Public Works.”

Two assistant city manager positions remain in the organization: one will be held by Kathy Merrill, while the other — vacant for an entire year – is being filled by Jeff Kersten. Kersten, who joined the city fulltime in 1991, will continue to oversee Fiscal Services, Municipal Court and Information Technology, according to Templin.

“This better reflects Jeff’s duties within the organization and allows him to remain in charge of the same functions as before,” Templin said. Merrill will continue overseeing the Police and Fire departments and Human Resources, while adding Community Services (formerly Community Development) that’s now under the direction of Debbie Eller. Eller has been with the City of College Station since 1999.

The reassignments remove two executive director positions from the organization that were created under previous city management.

“These are very subtle changes, not seismic ones,” Templin said. “On the surface, it might sound a bit top-heavy, but that’s not at all the intention. In fact, this flattens the organization so we can provide more information and better internal communication to all city staff, whether it’s about our budget process or other important issues.”

Templin began as College Station’s city manager Nov. 4, filling the vacancy left by the late Frank Simpson.